101 Things You Thought You Knew About the Titanic . . . butDidn't!

Front Cover
Penguin, Nov 29, 2011 - History - 320 pages
April 15th, 2012, will be the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

People have an endless fascination with the Titanic, yet much of what they know today is a mixture of fact and fiction. In one hundred and one brief and engaging chapters, Tim Maltin, one of the foremost experts on the Titanic, reveals the truth behind the most common beliefs about the ship and the night it sank. From physics to photographs, lawsuits to love stories, Maltin doesn't miss one tidbit surrounding its history. Heavily researched and filled with detailed descriptions, quotes from survivors, and excerpts from the official inquiries, this book is guaranteed to make readers rethink everything they thought they knew about the legendary ship and its tragic fate.

 

Contents

I TITANIC WAS THE LARGEST SHIP IN THE WORLD IN 1912
2 TITANIC WAS THE FASTEST SHIP IN THE WORLD IN 1912
4 TITANIC WAS ORIGINALLY TO HAVE BEEN NAMED GIGANTIC
5 TITANICS OWNERS WERE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY IN HER CONSTRUCTION CAUSING THEM TO CUT CORNERS ON QUALITY AN...
7 TITANICS OWNERS OPPOSED THE ADDITION OF MORE LIFEBOATS IN ORDER TO GIVE PASSENGERS MORE ROOM ON THE PROME...
8 THE TITANIC DISASTER WAS PREDICTED 14 YEARS BEFORE IT HAPPENED BY WRITER MORGAN ROBERTSON
9 CATHOLIC WORKERS AT HARLAND WOLFF SABOTAGED TITANIC BECAUSE HER HULL NUMBER WAS ANTICATHOLIC
11 TITANICS CONSTRUCTION LAUNCH AND SAILING WERE PLAGUED BY BAD LUCK
54 TITANIC SANK MORE RAPIDLY BECAUSE HER WATERTIGHT DOORS WERE OPENED AGAIN AFTER THE COLLISION
55 TITANIC DID NOT SEND A DISTRESS SIGNAL UNTIL 47 MINUTES AFTER THE COLLISION
56 TITANIC WAS THE FIRST SHIP TO USE THE DISTRESS SIGNAL SOS
57 TITANICS DISTRESS SIGNAL GAVE THE WRONG POSITION
58 CARPATHIA WAS THE FIRST SHIP TO PICK UP TITANICS DISTRESS SIGNAL
59 THE FRANKFURT 150 MILES AWAY WAS TOLD YOU FOOL STANDBY AND KEEP OUT WHEN SHE CONTACTED TITANIC
60 TITANICS DISTRESS MESSAGE WAS PICKED UP ON THE ROOF OF A NEW YORK DEPARTMENT STORE
61 THE CALIFORNIAN WAS ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY FROM THE SINKING TITANIC

12 TITANIC WAS SUNK BY A MUMMYS CURSE
13 TITANIC WAS FILLED TO CAPACITY ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE
14 TITANIC WAS ON FIRE WHEN SHE LEFT SOUTHAMPTON
15 TITANIC WAS CARRYING GOLD BULLION
16 TITANIC NEARLY COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER SHIP AS SHE LEFT SOUTHAMPTON
17 CAPTAIN SMITH WAS ACCIDENT PRONE
18 TITANIC WAS TRYING TO WIN THE BLUE RIBAND FOR THE FASTEST ATLANTIC CROSSING
19 TITANIC WAS SHORT OF COAL BECAUSE OF A COAL STRIKE
20 OWNER ISMAY ACTED AS A SUPERCAPTAIN AND ORDERED CAPTAIN SMITH TO MAINTAIN FULL SPEED DESPITE THE UNUSUA...
21 TITANIC WAS TRYING TO TAKE THE SHORTEST ROUTE TO NEW YORK AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT
22 CAPTAIN SMITH SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN FOR ICE
23 CRUCIAL ICE WARNINGS NEVER MADE IT TO TITANICS BRIDGE BECAUSE THE WIRELESS OPERATOR WAS TOO BUSY AND TIRED
24 CAPTAIN SMITH WAS DRUNK AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION
25 MOLLY BROWN WAS TREATED WITH CONDESCENSION BY OTHER FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS BECAUSE SHE WAS NEW MONEY
26 ALICE CLEAVER NURSEMAID TO A FAMILY IN FIRST CLASS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CONVICTED OF KILLING HER OWN CHILD
27 TWO KIDNAPPED CHILDREN SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC
28 THERE WERE PROFESSIONAL CARDSHARPS TRAVELLING ON TITANIC AS FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS
29 STEWARDESS VIOLET JESSOP SURVIVED THE SINKING OF BOTH THE TITANIC AND HER SISTER SHIP THE BRITANNIC
30 ALL EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE GOODWIN FAMILY DIED IN THE SINKING
31 KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR SMALL ICE WAS A STANDING JOKE AMONGST TITANICS LOOKOUTS
32 TITANICS LOOKOUTS COULD SMELL THE ICE THAT NIGHT
33 IF TITANICS LOOKOUTS HAD HAD BINOCULARS THEYD HAVE SEEN THE ICEBERG EARLIER
34 TITANIC WAS GOING AT THE MAXIMUM SPEED SHE WAS CAPABLE OF WHEN SHE SIGHTED THE ICEBERG
35 TITANICS ENGINES WERE PUT IN REVERSE JUST BEFORE THE COLLISION MAKING THE SHIP LESS RESPONSIVE TO HER HELM ...
36 IF TITANIC HAD BEEN GOING MORE SLOWLY SHE COULD HAVE TURNED MORE QUICKLY
38 HARDASTARBOARD WAS THE ONLY HELM ORDER GIVEN TO AVOID THE ICEBERG
39 CAPTAIN SMITH WAS IN BED WHEN TITANIC COLLIDED WITH THE ICEBERG
40 TITANIC COLLIDED WITH A LONE ICEBERG
41 TITANIC STRUCK A BLUE OR DARK ICEBERG
42 IF TITANIC HAD CARRIED SEARCHLIGHTS THE LOOKOUTS WOULD HAVE SEEN THE ICE EARLIER
43 THE LOOKOUTS HAD REPORTED SEEING ICEBERGS BEFORE THE COLLISION
44 THE ICEBERG WHICH SANK THE TITANIC WAS IDENTIFIED THE DAY AFTER THE SINKING BY A SMEAR OF RED PAINT ALONG I...
45 EVERYONE ON BOARD TITANIC FELT A TERRIFIC JOLT AS SHE COLLIDED WITH THE ICEBERG
46 SOME THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS WOKE UP TO FIND THEIR CABINS AWASH
47 PASSENGERS USED CHUNKS OF THE ICEBERG IN THEIR DRINKS AFTER THE COLLISION
48 THE ICEBERG RIPPED A 300 FOOT GASH ALONG THE SIDE OF THE SHIP
49 THE STEEL AND RIVETS USED TO MAKE TITANIC WERE OF INFERIOR QUALITY IF SHED BEEN MADE WITH BETTER METAL TH...
50 IF THE BULKHEADS OF TITANICS WATERTIGHT COMPARTMENTS HAD BEEN HIGHER SHE WOULDNT HAVE SUNK
52 IF TITANIC HAD RAMMED THE ICEBERG HEADON SHE WOULD HAVE SURVIVED
53 ENGINEERS AND STOKERS WERE TRAPPED BELOW BY THE WATERTIGHT DOORS AS THEY CAME DOWN AFTER THE COLLISION
62 THE CALIFORNIAN SAW TITANICS DISTRESS SIGNALS BUT IGNORED THEM
63 THERE WAS A MYSTERY SHIP BETWEEN THE TITANIC AND THE CALIFORNIAN WHICH COULD HAVE SAVED EVERYONE BUT IT...
64 IF THE CALIFORNIAN HAD GONE TO HELP EVERYONE ON THE TITANIC COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED
65 CAPTAIN SMITH HAD A MENTAL BREAKDOWN FOLLOWING THE COLLISION WHICH RENDERED HIM INEFFECTIVE
66 TITANICS PASSENGERS WERE RELUCTANT TO GET INTO THE LIFEBOATS
67 TITANICS OFFICERS THOUGHT HER LIFEBOATS MIGHT BREAK IF THEY WERE LOWERED FULLY LOADED
68 TITANICS SECOND OFFICER PREVENTED MEN AND EVEN BOYS FROM ENTERING LIFEBOATS EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS SPAC...
69 ONE MAN ESCAPED BY PRETENDING TO BE A WOMAN IN ORDER TO GET INTO A LIFEBOAT
70 TITANIC DEVELOPED A LIST TO PORT WHEN SINKING AND PASSENGERS WERE ORDERED TO THE STARBOARD SIDE TO CORRE...
71 TITANICS FIRST OFFICER ALLOWED A LIFEBOAT WITH A CAPACITY OF 40 TO LEAVE WITH ONLY FIVE PASSENGERS IN IT
72 THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS WERE KEPT BELOW AS TITANIC SANK AND WERE PREVENTED FROM ENTERING THE LIFEBOATS
73 IF TITANIC HAD HAD MORE LIFEBOATS EVERYBODY COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED
74 CAPTAIN SMITH ADVISED THOSE ON BOARD NEAR THE END TO BE BRITISH
76 TITANICS MARCONI OPERATORS KNOCKED A STOKER UNCONSCIOUS AND LEFT HIM TO DIE
77 ISMAY PUSHED HIS WAY INTO COLLAPSIBLE C THE LAST LIFEBOAT TO BE LAUNCHED ON THE STARBOARD SIDE
78 TITANICS ENGINEERS DIED AT THEIR POSTS BELOW DECKS
79 TITANICS BOILERS EXPLODED AS SHE SANK
80 TITANIC BROKE IN HALF AS SHE SANK
81 COL JOHN JACOB ASTOR IV WAS CRUSHED BY A FALLING FUNNEL AS THE SHIP SANK
82 FIRST OFFICER MURDOCH SHOT ONE OR TWO PASSENGERS BEFORE SHOOTING HIMSELF
83 CAPTAIN SMITH COMMITTED SUICIDE AS THE SHIP WENT DOWN
84 MOST TITANIC VICTIMS DROWNED
85 THE CARPATHIA AVERAGED 175 KNOTS DURING HER 58MILE DASH TO REACH THE TITANIC
86 CHIEF BAKER CHARLES JOUGHIN SURVIVED FOR SEVERAL HOURS IN THE FREEZING WATER
87 MOLLY BROWN TRIED TO MAKE LIFEBOAT NUMBER SIX GO BACK TO PICK UP SURVIVORS BUT WAS PREVENTED BY QUARTER...
88 MANY MORE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF MORE LIFEBOATS HAD ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO PICK UP SURVIVORS F...
89 SIR COSMO DUFF GORDON OFFERED THOSE IN LIFEBOAT NO 1 5 EACH IF THEY WOULD AGREE NOT TO RETURN TO THE SHIP T...
90 THE BARKING OF A NEWFOUNDLAND DOG ALERTED CARPATHIA TO TITANICS LIFEBOATS
91 OPERATORS ON THE CARPATHIA WITHHELD INFORMATION ABOUT TITANICS SINKING IN ORDER TO SELL THEIR STORY TO TH...
92 A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF IRISH PEOPLE DIED ON THE TITANIC THAN ANY OTHER NATIONALITY
93B MORE FIRST CLASS MEN WERE SAVED THAN THIRD CLASS MEN
94 BODIES OF FIRST AND SECOND CLASS PASSENGERS WERE TAKEN TO HALIFAX FOR BURIAL BUT THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS W...
95 ONE OF TITANICS LIFEBOATS WAS FOUND DRIFTING IN THE ATLANTIC A MONTH AFTER THE SINKING WITH THE BODIES OF T...
96 THE TITANIC AND HER CARGO WERE REINSURED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DISASTER
97 THE SHIP THAT SANK WAS ACTUALLY THE PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED OLYMPIC IN AN INSURANCE SCAM THAT WENT WRONG
98 ISMAY DEVELOPED A LIFELONG OPIATE ADDICTION AFTER THE SINKING AND WITHDREW FROM SOCIETY
99 THE BRITISH INQUIRY INTO THE SINKING WAS A WHITEWASH
100 RMS TITANIC INC NOW OWNS THE WRECK
101 THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC MAY ONE DAY BE RAISED
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About the author (2011)

Tim Maltin is a marketing and public relations consultant who has been researching the Titanic for more than twenty-five years. He lives in Wiltshire, England.

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